BTF 3''F 2.5''R Lift (stock to current)

[ExploreDeep]

I ordered my lift from Brandon and it's shipping out to me on Monday. I've made the decision to after this lift, a 1.5'' body lift and some few extras here and there, the Exploder is decommissioned from mods and off-roading. It breaks my heart to say I won't have a toy anymore but, finances and work come first!

I will be posting pictures and try my hardest to keep y'all in the loop on progress. I will also be posting pictures from day one of completely stock off the dealership floor to now.

Current mods:
32's
Soft 8's
Westin light bar
Piaa Amber ion fog lights
Cherry bomb exhaust
2 12'' Subwoofers (coming out)
Hd, Bluetooth, satellite head-unit
Neons under the dash and front seats
And many more.

Stay tuned guys!!
Thanks alot, Ethan.

 

[Mr Dubya]

If you're putting 3" Front and 2.5" Rear coil spacers on that, then you're going to almost guaranteed need to invest in the upper control arms from Brandon too. They're $500+ bucks or so, but they're going to take the stress of the ball joints, and at least let you semi-align the tires.

Without them, your ball joints run the risk of blowing apart on the road, and your tires will wear out irregularly because they can't be aligned.


-Dubya

 

[ExploreDeep]

If you're putting 3" Front and 2.5" Rear coil spacers on that, then you're going to almost guaranteed need to invest in the upper control arms from Brandon too. They're $500+ bucks or so, but they're going to take the stress of the ball joints, and at least let you semi-align the tires.

Without them, your ball joints run the risk of blowing apart on the road, and your tires will wear out irregularly because they can't be aligned.


-Dubya

I planned on buying the UCA's eventually but, he said the ball joints should be fine as long as I don't seriously off road it. Which I don't plan on doing anymore.

 

[ExploreDeep]

Correct me if I'm wrong but, His page said provides 3'' of lift and 2.75'' of lift... Does this mean the spacers are actually this tall or are they smaller and just provide this amount of lift? I'm a tad bit confused.

Thanks.

 

[Mr Dubya]

Correct me if I'm wrong but, His page said provides 3'' of lift and 2.75'' of lift... Does this mean the spacers are actually this tall or are they smaller and just provide this amount of lift? I'm a tad bit confused.

Thanks.

He probably means the spacers give you a net lift of 3"F/2.75"R, when the actual spacer dimensions are 2.25"F/1.75". That's what I have from him.

In which case, disregard my comment. I know RoadBully used to provide ACTUAL 3" spacers, and those were the first to inform us of the blown out ball joints.

Get those arms eventually, and also a set of Moog Camber adjustments (for alignment) and you'll be good to go and safe to tackle almost anything.

 

[ExploreDeep]

He probably means the spacers give you a net lift of 3"F/2.75"R, when the actual spacer dimensions are 2.25"F/1.75". That's what I have from him.

In which case, disregard my comment. I know RoadBully used to provide ACTUAL 3" spacers, and those were the first to inform us of the blown out ball joints.

Get those arms eventually, and also a set of Moog Camber adjustments (for alignment) and you'll be good to go and safe to tackle almost anything.

So I should be fine for the time being? Since my X is mostly a road truck and sometimes some mud, no trails

 

[Mr Dubya]

Yes it will be fine for gentle driving for now. As time passes and the ball joint weakens, the safety factor drops.

However the control arms must come eventually, trails or no trails.

 

[ExploreDeep]

Yes it will be fine for gentle driving for now. As time passes and the ball joint weakens, the safety factor drops.

However the control arms must come eventually, trails or no trails.

Do you have a part # for the camber adjuster kit?

 

[Mr Dubya]

Do you have a part # for the camber adjuster kit?

Here is what i just put on my truck (although I haven't had time to take it down to the shop - still finding time to fix a problem with my steering linkage)

Front Camber Adjustment Kit by Moog

Rear Camber Adjustment Kit by Moog:


I found both on eBay. Prices were respectable. Installation takes about 30-50 minutes for all 4 corners if you go quick. (I cheated and didn't even take the arms off )

Right now there's two locking washer 'shims' where the upper control arm studs pass through the frame strut mount. They prevent adjustment, so you have to replace them with regular heavy washers so the studs can be moved about and adjusted through elongated holes. I had that done when I first put on strut spacers, but honestly I don't think the alignment was that spot on, since there's nowhere for a shop to grab hold of with a wrench and precisely calibrate it. These kits give a nice hex for a shop to latch on to and adjust accordingly so you get a quality alignment. I also trust them to hold more tightly and not shift with a hard left or right steer (I've seen it happen a few times).


-Dubya

 

[ExploreDeep]

Here is what i just put on my truck (although I haven't had time to take it down to the shop - still finding time to fix a problem with my steering linkage)

Front Camber Adjustment Kit by Moog

Rear Camber Adjustment Kit by Moog:

To get the old ones off what do I have to do? I'm a rookie when it comes to adjustments /caster &camber

I found both on eBay. Prices were respectable. Installation takes about 30-50 minutes for all 4 corners if you go quick. (I cheated and didn't even take the arms off )

Right now there's two locking washer 'shims' where the upper control arm studs pass through the frame strut mount. They prevent adjustment, so you have to replace them with regular heavy washers so the studs can be moved about and adjusted through elongated holes. I had that done when I first put on strut spacers, but honestly I don't think the alignment was that spot on, since there's nowhere for a shop to grab hold of with a wrench and precisely calibrate it. These kits give a nice hex for a shop to latch on to and adjust accordingly so you get a quality alignment. I also trust them to hold more tightly and not shift with a hard left or right steer (I've seen it happen a few times).


-Dubya

 

[Mr Dubya]

Each front upper control arm has two studs that pass through a frame mount. On the underside of that mount, there is a locking shim and a nut.

Simply jack the wheel up to relieve pressure on the strut and arms, remove one nut, then pry the lock shim off, and replace with the adjustment (may have to shimmy it around a bit). It's very straightforward when you open up the kit and read the little directions.

Then repeat for the other stud and nut.

Then do the other wheel, and then the rears (which are slightly different). The instructions that come with them make it a piece of cake.

Then bring it to Firestone or wherever, and have them align it.